Marc Bane: I Was "Cleaning the Roadways," Not Stealing a Fallen Highway Sign

Sterling citizen Marc Bane, 36, of the rural hamlet of Porter was volunteering to improve the visual blight caused by the large pipe-like stand for a fallen highway sign on U.S. 59 in Montgomery County. At least that's what he told cops, according to the Montgomery County Police Reporter.

But the sheriff's deputies and constables who arrived on the scene awee apparently satisfied that the awesome beauty of U.S. 59 was being despoiled by unsightly metal. They arrested Bane and his female companion for loading up their pick-up with stolen metal made up of copper and aluminum.

Bane had been using a blowtorch to cut up the large metal tube, which TxDOT had yet to pick up after an accident three weeks ago.

The vehicle used in the heroic charitable endeavor, courtesy of the MCPR: